Biocide-based cleaning chemical use may continue

Under the EC’s Biocides Products Regulation, which was originally intended to control potentially dangerous pesticides used in agriculture, biocides are becoming increasingly regulated.

Peter Littleton, technical director for disinfectant supplier Klenzan told Food Manufacture’s one-day food safety conference on October 13 it was specifically affecting chemicals that come into contact with food.

“We are currently looking at whether we can argue with our European friends as to whether or not a chlorates maximum residue limit (MRL) is appropriate and we expect movement on that sometime in November,” ​said Littleton.

“There is a bit of a glimmer because there are certain biocidal compounds that are termed ‘single use’.​

‘Never been registered’​

“They have never been registered for anything other than disinfection purposes; they are not plant-protection products. They are based on either peracetic acids or hydrogen peroxide.”​

Because of more stringent maximum residue limits (MRLs) of 0.01mg/kg introduced, disinfectants based on quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), such as benzalkonium chloride and didecyldimethylammonium chloride.

These compunds, which were widely used across UK food manufacturing, have been especially hard hit and their use has “fallen off a cliff”,​ said Littleton.

MRLs for chlorine-based disinfectants are also being discussed by the EC, which set limits for chlorate residues formed as a by-product through their use and interaction with foodstuffs.

“Unlike when we dealt with QACs, the food industry suddenly woke up​ [saying] we’ve lost one biocide, there is another in firing line, we’d better do something about this,” ​said Littleton.

Impact of the new regulations​

But Littleton expressed some frustration in explaining to the UK food industry the impact of the new regulations.

“It’s about what​ [biocide] is in the product, not what is on a surface. So, if I disinfect this table with a QAC-based disinfectant and then make a sandwich on it, it’s not about the residue that is on this surface, it’s about what residue is in the product.”​

When asked whether he expected the UK campaign to be successful in getting the EC to modify its proposals, Littleton replied: “I think the chances of getting the QACs decision overturned are very, very slim … with chlorates, I am a little more hopeful.”​

He attributed his optimism to the strength of the case made to the EC by the Chilled Food Association and others, which have argued that around 75% of the total EU consumption of chilled ready meals is concentrated in the UK.

Chilled food production depends on the use of these chemicals to reduce the chances of food poisoning. “So we would be disproportionately affected by a removal of biocides completely,”​ said Littleton.